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San Diego Farmers Welcome Water Bank

California water officials are working on plans to deal with a continued drought. One of those plans could benefit San Diego County farmers. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

San Diego Farmers Welcome Water Bank

California water officials are working on plans to deal with a continued drought. One of those plans could benefit San Diego County farmers. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

County farmers have been dealing with a 30-percent cutback in water supply since January.

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They signed an agreement 14 years ago to get a lower price for water.

In exchange the farmers agreed to cutbacks during times of drought or emergency.

Larson: The farmers get cut first and they get cut deepest. And that's exactly the situation we're in right now.
 
Eric Larson is the executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau.

He says farmers have been cutting back avocado trees, pulling out citrus trees and planting fewer nursery crops.
 
The state department of water resources plans to create a water bank to move water from one part of the state to another.

Larson says that could help county farmers.

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Larson: We need to increase that inventory of water in Southern California otherwise the farmers' portion will continue to get cut.

County water officials have put the region on alert because of the drought and say rationing could be possible next year.

 Ed Joyce, KPBS News.